


From Montauk to the End of the World

by pretense



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-11
Updated: 2016-03-15
Packaged: 2018-05-13 05:33:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5696863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pretense/pseuds/pretense
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There was this one trip to Montauk that didn’t go exactly as planned.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've officially moved out of my old FFN account but there was one story I simply couldn't leave behind.  
> Polishing up the fic as I update every second and fourth Monday each month. Hopefully, we'll get to the ending this time.  
> Will update the tags as we go along, all right? All right.  
> The nostalgia is strong in this one~

The bus had broken down so they had to transfer. Sally adjusted the cap on Percy's head, helping her son put on his little backpack before leading him out of the bus. Everyone else was milling about the sidewalk while the conductor went on a payphone to call for another bus from the station. He told them it would take about an hour.

Percy squirmed. He was only five years old, he hated being made to wait. He just wanted to go to the beach. It's been a rough school year. All the other kids teased him because he couldn't read as fast and he always,  _always_ had to go home with extra homework for practice. The school even advised him to get remedial classes, too, but he didn't want to spend the scarce summer months toiling away. So there he was with his mother on their annual trip to the beach.

"Want to get some ice cream while we wait?" Sally smiled at her little boy, knowing exactly what the puffed up cheeks were for.

Percy nodded, gripping the straps of the backpack as he followed after his mother. She led him down the street, eyes out for an ice cream shop or whatever store there is that served ice cream at nine in the morning.

They turned the corner and were walking past an alley when Percy froze. He was pretty sure he heard someone cry out, sounding a lot like they were in pain. He turned his eyes to the shadowy space lodged between two brick buildings, curious and suspicious. The thing is, his teachers at school often reprimanded him for not paying attention in class but he just had this gut feeling that something was out there; in the stairwells at night, in the abandoned building down the block, in this alley right here.

A hulking figure separated itself from the shadows. It was a big beefy man in tattered clothes, his face smeared with dirt and grime.

Percy knew a word for those kinds of people, he'd heard the other kids at school shout them at the old bearded guy that slept on the bench at the park and walked around pushing a shopping cart loaded with broken stuff. But Percy knew that this alley-guy wasn't like the pushcart-guy. The alley-guy's eyes were scary and bright yellow. And they were trained right at him.

The large man cocked his head to the side, eyes narrowing at the five-year old with the backpack staring at him. He sniffed at the air, his nostrils flaring as he recognized the smell. His whole chest rumbled as he chuckled.

_Demigod._

Percy suddenly wanted to run. The man smiled a nasty evil smile and his teeth weren't normal – they were pointed little triangles, stained red. He wanted to run, run away and grab his mom, run away to the beach where he felt safe but he couldn't. His feet were stuck to the pavement and he couldn't bring them to move.

The yellow-eyed man stepped closer, showing off his pointy teeth. Percy couldn't even scream because a great big lump had stuck itself in his throat. This wasn't a normal guy, he couldn't be human.

The moment those thoughts entered his brain the hulking figure seemed to morph into a beast - lightning quick flashes alternating between the grimy man and something horrible with dark fur and claws and a pungent smell.

It was a monster. A great hairy monster and it was going straight for him.

"Percy!" Sally's voice sounded too far away.

Suddenly, a lean body jumped onto the monster's back. It was a boy who looked twice Percy’s age, wielding a bronze knife in one hand. He jabbed the blade into the monster's neck and it instantly exploded into dust. The boy landed on his feet and met a wide, awestruck pair of sea green eyes.

Percy had only been told too many times that it was rude to stare but he couldn't help himself.

The boy, the  _human_ boy, just killed a monster right in front of him.

"A-Are you a ninja?" Percy found himself asking.

The boy smirked, the bags under his eyes standing out now that Percy looked at him closely. His thin limbs were streaked with patches of red – blood, Percy guesses and he hopes that it isn’t the boy’s.

"My goodness, Percy, are you all right?" Sally came up beside her son, cupping his face and checking all over.

A rush of relief flooded the young boy and he managed a smile. "He saved me." Percy looked over to the alley only to find the boy gone. He pulled away from his mother's hold, anxiety written all over his face.

"Percy what are you doing?" Sally grabbed Percy's hand, pulling him back.

"He disappeared but he's bleeding and he needs a doctor." Percy bit his bottom lip. "We  _have_  to help him." He proceeded to drag Sally between the brick buildings but they reached a dead end. Percy felt the lump return to his throat.

The boy couldn't just disappear like that. He was wounded and he looked starved and – something red suddenly caught his eye. It was a smudge of red on a door, looking fresh and a lot like blood.

Curiosity and great worry had Percy turning the rusty brass knob. The door swung open easy, letting out stale air. "Hello?" he called into the dusty room. "Are you in here? I – I want to help you."

"Percy, we should get out," Sally whispered, not liking the idea of trespassing into somebody else's property.

Then they heard a thud and a groan. Both Jacksons rushed to the source of the noise and found Percy's wounded savior passed out.

They missed the bus to Montauk.


	2. Chapter 2

The first thing he noticed was the sterile smell. The next thing was that his knife was gone. Then he realized that he's lying on a mattress and covered in a blanket – two things he'd gone for so long without. And then there were the voices… and the warm weight near his feet.

"Is he your son?" 

The voice was male and sounded much like a morning news anchor.

"No, doctor." This one was female and her voice was kind. "My son found him already beaten up and he got concerned so we brought him here."

"I see… You're a very good kid."

There was a small bouncing movement on the foot of his bed.

"So how is he, Doctor?" the woman –  _ mother _ asked.

"The wounds aren't deep and thankfully they aren't infected either," the man paused. "The problem is that he doesn't seem to have been eating well, the boy's got a serious case of malnutrition."

"We'll help him, right Mommy?"

Now  _ that _ voice he recognized. He struggled to open his eyes and once he got through the bright lights, he found three people staring at him. He was drawn to a pair of bright green eyes.

"Hi," the dark-haired boy smiled from the foot of his bed.

"That was rather quick," the doctor said. The man looked about thirty, a stethoscope around his neck and an unconvincing smile on his face.

"I heal quick," the boy in the hospital bed replied curtly. He set his icy blue eyes on the sole female in the room. "Thank you, ma'am, you shouldn't have bothered but thank you nonetheless."

"Are you feeling better now?" the green-eyed boy asked him and he found himself considering his words carefully.

"… Yes."

"Does that mean he can go?" the boy looked up to the doctor who mumbled an affirmative.

"Can he come with us, Mom?" the boy turned to his mother, pleading like only a five-year-old could.

"I don't know, Percy, you should ask him if he wants to first." The mother wore a fondly amused expression at her son's questioning.

'Percy' soon had his attention back on the hospitalized boy, playing up his childish charisma. "We're going to the beach, do you want to come with us?"

He looked at the boy's mother and found the same fond smile directed at him. Clearly this 'Percy' kid was of that extremely friendly sort. But he didn't even know these people and he's probably more of a threat to them than anything else. He raised his eyes to the kid again, still debating; Percy's smile only grew wider.

These people also took care of him.

"I'll be more than happy to," he finally replied.

* * *

"So what's your name?" Percy asked, right after telling the boy his favorite color (blue), food (blue waffles), drink (Coke, "It's a shame they don't have blue ones."), subject (Art, "The teacher lets me use all the blue clay!"), and TV show (The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, "Leonardo's the best!").

The blond boy looked out at the ocean for a moment, careful of his bandaged shoulder, as he walked side by side with the inquisitive kid. "I'm Luke," he finally replied.

"That's a cool name." Percy beamed just as they stopped in front of a cabin on the beach.

Sally ushered them both inside and Percy wasted no time in touring his new friend around his favorite place in the world. With the small hand tightly gripping his own, pulling him around the seaside cabin, Luke knew his life had taken another turn – he just didn't know if it was going to end up better or worse.

Lunch time was approaching and Sally decided it best to take the boys out instead of cooking. There was a strip of restaurants and a couple of stores not too far from their lodging and at Percy's insistence they went into a burger joint.

Luke wasn't very good at socializing but that didn't matter since Percy was talkative enough for the both of them. Sally was only too happy to watch her son act so enthusiastic and, well, happy. Percy never had a lot of friends. The apartment didn't have a lot of kids his age and his schoolmates weren't exactly the friendliest. So for him to befriend Luke (even if it was under dire circumstances) made Sally happy as well.

"You were awesome killing that monster," Percy was saying as they waited for their order to arrive.

Luke attempted to shrug but he ended up hissing in pain, accidentally agitating his injured shoulder. "It's nothing. I, um, had a lot of practice."

"Do you have a master? Like the Ninja Turtles?" Percy asked.

"No, I, uh, had to learn on my own…" Luke said, avoiding the younger boy's gaze.

"Do your parents know?" Percy's brow creased in worry, not liking the sudden change in his friend's demeanor.

Luke pursed his lips, staring at the wooden tabletop intently. He didn't know if he could answer that – he couldn't tell these nice people that he ran away from home, that his mother was crazy, that he'd never even known his father. But he couldn't lie either.

Now, Sally Jackson was a mere mortal but she was a very perceptive one at that. She had guessed the boy's story the moment the monster in the alley vanished into dust – she just didn't expect it to be this bad. "It's okay if you don't want to answer, Luke," she said comfortingly, placing her hand on top of the boy's. "Percy's father, he's lost at sea."

Light blue eyes stared at her, a mixture of empathy and sadness. Were all the gods like this? They have children and then they just leave them? Luke turned his gaze to Percy who was suddenly quiet, tearing up a piece of tissue paper. He felt anger rise within him – not for the boy, but for the stupid, good for nothing trash that dared call themselves 'gods'; those bastards dared put a frown on such a wonderful kid.

"I don't have a home to return to," Luke whispered and Percy slowly lifted his face to meet the blond's gaze.

"Mom?" Percy looked up at his kind mother, unable to say exact words but carrying the sentiment in his tone.

Sally was about to reply when Luke himself spoke up.

"Sorry Percy, but whatever you're thinking, I'd have to say no," Luke said.

"But–"

"Did you know why that monster was in that alley?" Luke leaned forward. "It was chasing me. Monsters find me and they want to kill me."

"But  _ why _ ?"

"They call me a half-blood and apparently that's the best snack for monsters everywhere."

Percy worried his bottom lip, deferring his gaze to his mother in search of support. "We could hide you from the monsters, right Mommy?"

"The monsters  _ smell _ me, that's how they know where I am. Hiding doesn't help much, trust me, I tried." Luke didn't mean to be bitter but it just came out like that. He liked Percy and his mom, they were good people and that was exactly why he was telling them all about the dangers out there.

Percy opened his mouth to protest but then their waitress arrived with lunch and the conversation took a backseat to eating. Luke felt bad that he caused the atmosphere to drop, Percy was chewing on his burger with a pout on him, but the Jacksons have already been too good to him; he would never want to exploit their hospitality.

They returned to the cabin, Percy insisting that Luke at the very least enjoy the beach with them today. While the boy went to change into his swimming shorts, Sally sat Luke down on the couch.

"I guess you already know," Sally began.

"Percy's a half-blood just like me, yeah," Luke nodded, staring at the coffee table.

"Not that, but you are right." Sally smiled at the boy. "Luke, I love my son. I only want what's best for him."

Luke nodded again. He understood, he understood it completely – she didn't have to water it down for him.

"That's why I want to ask you to stay with us." Sally wore a grin at the hopeful expression that crossed Luke's face.

"But… having two half-bloods under your roof... that would be dangerous,  _ very _ dangerous," Luke implored, hiding behind his doubts and fears again.

"You know what's dangerous?" Sally clasped her hands together and leaned on her knees, lowering her level in order to meet the boy's eyes. "Percy losing the first real friend he's ever made."

Luke's face fell.

"Of course I'm not forcing you to stay," Sally quickly added. "I'm just saying that it's very much okay if you do."


	3. Chapter 3

Percy didn't like Gabe Ugliano. He was smelly, he had a big belly, and his name had the word 'ugly' in it but Sally won't hear anything against him and Luke had taken her side. The wedding was private, just a short occasion at the City Hall and after that Gabe moved in with them; his poker buddies becoming a sort of package deal. The apartment started feeling a bit crowded but Percy wasn't one to complain, not when Luke was being a great big brother to him.

Gabe was manager at the Electronics Mega-Mart and he earned enough to be able to send both Luke and Percy to a decent private school. Sally worked more hours at Sweet On America and she'd bring home blue candy samples for Percy and Luke every day after school. It took a while for Luke to get used to all the blue food.

First grade, in Percy's opinion, wasn't too bad. The mean kids were wary of him now that Luke was a constant presence by his side; the blond walked him to class every morning and waved at Percy through the metal fence separating the grade school from the middle school grounds during recess. Luke was just barely keeping up with his own lessons but Sally and (most especially) Percy were only too happy to help him.

By the end of the school year, there were no untoward incidences and both boys managed to pull up their nasty English grades (among others) to be eligible to enroll for the next year.

The big problem arose when Gabe went completely against Sally and the boys taking a trip to Montauk; "I'm not paying for a stupid trip! Try next year when those punks bring home a better report card!" Percy's face blotched red and he stomped into his and Luke's room. Sally nudged Luke to go after her son while she tried to get her husband to change his mind.

Luke dallied in front of their shared room, trying to control his own temper before he faced the younger half-blood. Percy's been talking about Montauk for months, it was obviously a tradition that the Jacksons held dear but because of  _him_  – because _he_  got so attached to Percy, Sally was forced to marry the pig that was slowly ruining their lives.

The door creaked open and Percy buried himself deeper into the covers of his bunk.

"Percy, can I sit down?" Luke asked, twiddling his thumbs.

The mound on the bed moved to make space and Luke took the invitation. He reached out and placed his hand on what he assumed to be Percy's shoulder. "Could you come out of there? Please?"

Percy was still for a minute then he finally pulled down the covers, revealing a red face and very grim frown. "I hate Smelly Gabe."

Luke managed a smile in agreement. "I know you do. I don't like him at all either."

"Then why did mom have to marry him? She doesn't smile at all when he's around! Shouldn't people who like each other be happy when they're together?" Percy gathered his blanket around himself, backing up against his pillows and giving Luke a sad stare.

"It's complicated, Percy," Luke sighed, refocusing his eyes on the door where Sally entered not a second later.

"I'm sorry, boys, I tried everything but Gabe just won't allow it," Sally said, looking just as miserable as her son as she joined the boys on the lower bunk bed.

"We can sneak away," Percy suggested, still frowning as his mom lifted him onto her lap.

"I wish we could." Sally kissed her son's temple. "I wish we could."

Percy extended his hand to Luke who took it and moved closer. "There's always next year, Percy." Luke tried to act optimistic but his heart wasn't in it, it was too busy breaking at the crestfallen expression worn by the dark-haired boy.

"I wish Smelly Gabe never came here," Percy mumbled. He raised green eyes swimming with hurt towards his mother. "I love you mom but I don't know about him."

"I love you, too, baby," Sally whispered against her son's hair. "It's difficult to explain but you should know that I married him for a reason."

"What reason?" Percy asked.

"You'll understand when you're older, Percy," Sally kissed the boy's cheek and set him back onto the mattress. "For now it’s bed time." She tucked her son into bed before giving Luke a kiss on the cheek as he climbed onto the upper bunk.

"I'll find something else fun for us to do this summer, okay? Sweet dreams, boys." With that, the woman turned off the light and left the room.

Luke twisted and turned on his bed, trying to find a comfy spot but he failed every time. It must've been five minutes of staring at the ceiling decorated with glow-in-the-dark marine animals before a voice broke the silence.

"Hey, Luke?" Percy whispered just loud enough for the older boy to hear.

"Yeah?"

"It's exactly one year since I met you…"

"It's been the best year of my life yet, Percy…"

"Happy Anniversary."

Luke felt every negative emotion in him drain away, chased out of his body by those two words and the trail of warmth that followed and filled his very bones.

"Next year, Percy, I promise we'll celebrate properly."

* * *

 

'Next year' never came to fruition.

A week before the end of classes, there was a robbery at the Sweet On America store where Sally Jackson worked. There was a shootout and only one person survived. It wasn't Sally.

Mr. Brunner put down the phone and sighed. He didn't know how to break the news, those kids were too young. He wheeled his way out of the office, heading to a classroom on the second floor. There were five minutes left before the bell rang to signal the lunch break. He knocked on the door and the Math teacher shot him an unimpressed look, he relayed the news quickly and the teacher sympathized easily.

"Mr. Castellan," she called to the class and a blond teen stood up wearing a confused expression. "Bring your bag. Mr. Brunner has something important to… discuss with you."

"And Mr. Underwood? A word about your extra-curricular project after class, thank you." The wheelchair-bound man nodded and waited outside for the blond.

Luke had a big smile on him and it pained the Latin teacher to know that the smile wouldn't be there for long.

"Mr. Brunner," Luke greeted, backpack slung over one shoulder. As expected, his mien sobered once he recognized the grave expression on the teacher.

"Mr. Cas – " Mr. Brunner stopped himself. The teen never liked being called by his last name, using it now would be like salting a wound. "Luke, I understand that you're living with the Jackson household."

"Yes, sir," Luke nodded, his blue eyes calculating and wary.

"And Percy, he's under the grade school department right now, correct?"

"Yes."

"There's something you two should know, I believe we should fetch young Mr. Jackson before I break the news." Mr. Brunner began to lead the way.

"Is it bad news?" Luke asked as he followed his teacher.

"I'm afraid so."

Percy was sipping on a juice box, on his way out of the cafeteria when he spotted Luke and a bearded guy in a wheelchair pass by.

"Luke!" He ran towards the pair, feeling giddy because he can't wait to tell the older boy how his grades improved now that the exam results had been given.

"Percy," Luke greeted back, pulling him into a one-armed hug. "Percy this is my Latin teacher, Mr. Brunner."

"Hello," Percy smiled.

Mr. Brunner looked even glummer at that. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Jackson but I'm afraid that I come bearing dreadful news."

Percy looked up to Luke. "What does he mean 'dreadful news'? Is it about your test?"

"Oh no." Mr. Brunner shook his head. "It's not about that, rather – oh but this isn't the place to talk about it at all. Let's go to my office."

When they reached the Latin Department, Grover Underwood was sitting at one of the plastic chairs eating an apple right down to the core.

Mr. Brunner cleared his throat and Grover jumped, looking guilty and at the same time embarrassed. "S-Sorry sir. Um, hi Luke, Luke's brother."

Percy giggled. "You ate a whole apple. And I'm not Luke's brother!"

Grover's brows knitted together and he sniffed at the air. "Really?"

"Do we look  _anything_  alike?" Luke asked his classmate jokingly, pulling Percy flush to his side for emphasis.

"Hm, no," Grover looked stumped, scratching his head through his rasta cap.

Mr. Brunner cleared his throat, having wheeled over to his desk. "Mr. Underwood I have to ask you to give us some privacy for a few minutes." Once Grover had exited the room, the wheelchair-bound teacher turned to the concerned pair. "Have a seat, gentlemen."

Luke and Percy sat on the chairs in front of the Latin teacher's desk, the moment of hilarity was slowly taken over by a more serious air.

"Are we in trouble, sir?" Percy asked, swinging his legs over the edge of the chair in anxiety.

"No, my boy, it's…" Mr. Brunner sighed. "It's about your mother, Perseus Jackson."

Percy straightened up in his seat, a fearful look in his wide eyes.

"Mr. Brunner what happened?" Luke pressed, his heart feeling heavy and cold.

"Earlier this morning there was a news report about a robbery at a store called Sweet On America," the Latin teacher stroked his beard, still debating how to tread the topic.

"That's where my mom works," Percy whispered, his lips had thinned into a line and he looked a second away from crying.

"There had been a confrontation with the police and the gang of robbers, they – they shot people."

Percy was trembling, his face drained of color.

"What happened to Sally?" Luke asked in a shaky voice. He didn't even question the news because this was Mr. Brunner – he was the best teacher ever and he would never make a joke like this.

Brown eyes dejectedly looked down at the desk as Mr. Brunner shook his head. "I'm sorry boys, the paramedics rushed her and a lot of other people to the nearest hospital but she didn't make it. I'm sorry."

Tears formed rivers down Percy's cheeks as he shook his head unwilling to believe. His chest felt constricted and he had difficulty breathing. Luke had crossed over in a heartbeat, pulling the dark-haired boy close to him, allowing salty tears to stain his uniform.

"The hospital called the school after trying to contact your house phone but apparently no one was answering."

Percy's arms encircled Luke's waist, wrinkling the fabric of his shirt as he clenched his fists. Gabe was at home, Gabe was always at home, playing poker and drinking beer and being a slob who couldn't even be bothered to pick up the phone.

"C-Could we go to her?" Luke had a hard time keeping calm but for Percy's sake he would; for Percy's sake he would do anything.

"I wouldn't advise it," Mr. Brunner said in the same morose tone he'd been using. "The shootout had been terrible." He nodded at the crying wreck that was Percy. "It would be better if Mr. Jackson here has had time to adjust before visiting. Or perhaps not at all."

"It's my mom! I wanna see my mom!" Percy began to protest between sobs.

Luke rubbed his hand in soothing motions on Percy's back. "Sshhh, Percy calm down. I promise you we'll – we'll go to your mom but, but not right now. Not right now, Percy." He kissed the top of the boy's head.

Mr. Brunner, put his hands together and placed them on top of the desk, kindly eyes gazing at Luke. "You may be excused for the rest of your afternoon classes if you'd like. I could write a letter explaining the situation to your teachers."

"That would be great, sir, thank you," Luke continued to rub Percy's back as the younger boy's crying dwindled to smalls sobs and hiccups. "We'd better get going."

"Yes, of course, just one last thing," Mr. Brunner opened one of his desk drawers and pulled out a white calling card. "If you need help, any help at all, you will find yourselves most welcome here."

Luke took the card, reading it quick and freezing. He turned his blue eyes to Mr. Brunner, shock and suspicion not quite overcoming the look of betrayal on his face. The Latin teacher watched the pair leave, Luke carrying both his and Percy's bags as the younger boy stayed attached to his side.

Grover watched them pass, eyes to the ground and huddled so close together you couldn't pass a strand of hair between them. He wanted to ask or to even say goodbye but he decided against it in the end. He went back inside the Latin Department and took a seat in front of Mr. Brunner's desk.

"What happened, sir?" Grover asked, pulling off his rasta cap and crumpling it in his hands. His dark brown hair was curly and if you stared closely enough, you'd notice pointy little horns sticking out.

"Perseus Jackson's mother has died," Mr. Brunner said solemnly. "He and Luke Castellan are left in the hands of their stepfather and the Guidance Office records show that neither of them like the man… I believe it's time for you to redeem yourself."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm... I think it's always been an issue (even back in FFN) how I killed off Sally in this fic to further the plot  
> Personally, I figure she really was the only thing that kept Percy truly good through all those years (with Poseidon's absence and Gabe's foul presence) so even if Luke went darkside in this fic, if Sally was still alive Percy would never join him.. so she had to go, no offence, lady.  
> But surely Poseidon could have intervened! Well, yeah, he _could_ have but he wasn't supposed to let other gods know that he has a kid right then. Meddling in such petty human affairs would've been questionable. ~~Also... he's kind of more worried about this other half-blood child that's playing brother to his son.~~


	4. Chapter 4

People stared at them in the halls, in the street, in the bus ride home but neither of them looked back, they barely even noticed. They reached the apartment complex in a daze, trudging up the stairs and standing frozen in front of their door for a full minute before Luke was able to find his voice.

"Ignore Gabe, okay?" He kneeled in front of Percy so their faces were leveled. "Pretend he's not there, he's not saying anything, he doesn't exist." He stood up and put his arm around the smaller boy's shoulders, "Just stick with me."

Percy nodded, red cheeks marked with the creases of Luke's uniform, hiccupping slightly every now and then.

Luke pulled out his keys and they went inside.

"That you Sally?" Gabe's irate voice came, crowded with the voices of his poker buddies.

Percy squeezed his eyes shut and pressed himself closer to Luke. _There's no Smelly Gabe, there's no Smelly Gabe, there's no Smelly Gabe…_

Luke soldiered on, quickly passing the living room where the never-ending poker game was happening.

"What are  _you_  runts doing home so early?" Gabe scowled at them but they brushed past him without a word. "Don't tell me you boys got expelled? Useless pieces of–"

Their bedroom door slammed behind them before Gabe finished his sentence.

Luke led Percy to the lower bunk bed, setting their bags on the floor and allowing himself to be used as a pillow as Percy resumed crying. They laid down side by side, Percy's small form curled up against him. He closed his eyes, feeling tiredness deep within his bones, and finally let his own tears fall.

After what felt like hours later, Luke's stomach rumbled. Percy had cried himself to sleep, hands fisted tight on Luke's school uniform. He realized he couldn't leave Percy. He wrapped his arms around the boy, pressing his cheek against unruly black hair and closed his eyes to sleep his hunger away. The room was illuminated with a harsh orange hue by the time he woke up.

"Luke?" Percy's voice was small and hoarse.

"Yes, Percy?" Luke mumbled, still a bit groggy.

"I'm hungry…"

"I'll fix something up in the kitchen," Luke said as Percy moved off of him. "Just stay here, okay?"

Percy nodded. Luke squeezed his hand once and then he went out the door.

The living room was empty of poker-players. The only source of light was the TV which was turned to some soap opera while Gabe sat on the couch in front of it. Luke didn't spare him a second glance and continued into the kitchen.

He made PB and J sandwiches, toasting the bread just as he knew Percy liked. He found a box of orange juice in the refrigerator and got that, too. His hands were full by the time he finished; a plate of sandwiches, two mugs, and the one liter juice carton. He was on his way back when Gabe spoke none-too-kindly.

"So you boys heard the news already," Gabe said, eyes trained on the screen.

"Yeah, we did." Luke gritted out.

"You know what this means, don't you?" Gabe wore a grim, almost evil, smile. "You little rascals need to start carrying your own weight around here."

Luke would've dropped everything and beat the living crap out of the guy. He really,  _really_  wanted to. It's been too long since he last had a physical confrontation but now was looking like a very good opportunity to start again. Except that Percy was hungry and waiting for him to return. So he moved on.

He knocked on the door and Percy answered, helping him with the juice carton as he got inside. They ate their meal on the floor in silence. Once finished, they left the dishes on one of the study tables and retreated back to Percy's bunk.

Luke's eyes stared straight up, a huge debate in his mind and a burning weight in his pocket. Percy was completely still and quiet beside him, Luke couldn't decide if that was better or worse than crying. Heaving a deep breath, Luke fished out the calling card from his pocket and examined it. It was a plain white card with black text reading:

_Chiron  
Camp Director_

_Camp Half-Blood, Half-Blood Hill, Farm Road 3.141_  
Long Island, New York  
(800)009-0009

Camp Half-Blood.  _Half-Blood_. A bloody camp for people like them.

"What's that?" Percy asked, leaning over to see. "Who's Chiron?"

"Beats me," Luke replied. "Mr. Brunner gave this to me earlier."

"Camp Half-Blood…" Percy mumbled the words. "You're a half-blood aren't you, Luke? You told me so. Is your teacher sending you there?"

Luke gathered his wits, it was time to tell Percy – he was still too young but there was no other option, he had to know the truth. Hopefully, it would make the  _big_  decision easier. He leveled a soft gaze on the other boy. "I'm not the only one, Percy. You're like me, too."

Percy was understandably confused. "I'm not – I can't be. I'm not a good fighter at all."

"Being half-blood isn't about fighting skills," Luke replied, vying for the easiest route to explain things. "It's about having one mortal parent and one godly parent. You ever wonder why you never met your real dad?"

"He's lost at sea," Percy muttered, although he didn't sound very convinced.

"That's just another word for he left you – that's what all gods do, they leave their children because they have more 'important' stuff to do." Luke tried to be gentle, he really did, but Sally's death and the prospect of living under Smelly Gabe's rules just brought out the worst in him. "You were lucky to have your mom. She's the best mom in the world, Percy, and she did everything because she loved you."

"What?"

"Remember what I told you about half-bloods? How monsters find us because of our smell?" Luke sat up straighter. "Sally married Gabe because he reeked. He smells so foully  _human_  that it was able to mask both of our scents."

Percy swallowed hard. He didn't like how the conversation was going but it all made sense somehow.

"Now, here's the tricky part." Luke licked his chapped lips, staring directly into a pair of sea green eyes. "What do you want to do now, Percy?"

"I – what?" The young face scrunched up in confusion.

"I mean, do you want to go to Camp Half-Blood?" Luke said. "Gabe sure won't be treating you nice here."

"Wait – why do you keep saying ' _you_ '?" Percy moved closer. "You'll be coming with me, right? Luke?"

"I – I don't really know," Luke admitted. "I hate the gods, Percy. They never did anything for me – going into that camp, it's like an army sign-up… but it's safe. It's the safest place for you. You'll learn how to defend yourself."

Percy frowned. "What about  _you_?"

"I'll be going back to the streets, I guess," Luke shrugged, breaking eye contact.

A memory of a past summer day flashed in Percy's mind – of an alleyway and a thin, wounded boy. "I'll go wherever you go," he said, voice small but determined.

"No, Percy –"

"Luke,  _please._ "

"Percy–"

" _Please_."

Blues stared into greens.

"You're my only family left."

Just like that, Luke's resolve crumbled down.

They packed their bags with clothes, their savings, and some toiletries. They changed out of their uniforms into more casual outfits. Once they saw Gabe in deep sleep in front of the TV, the boys sneaked out.

Grover Underwood was waiting for them at the front steps. He revealed himself to be a satyr and that it was his duty to get them to Camp Half-Blood. Seeing his hooves quickly ended any debate as to what was real and what was bullshitting.

They made a detour to the city hospital where Percy and Luke gave their final goodbye to Sally Jackson. An encounter with a dracaena stalled their journey but not by much – Luke was only too happy to kill anything that might harm Percy.

* * *

 

The trio treaded up the slope of Half-Blood Hill just as the sun was making its way up the sky. A tall pine tree stood on top of the hill and Grover treated the ground surrounding it as though it was sacred. They entered Camp, Percy holding onto Luke's hand tight, and at the bottom of the slope they found Mr. Brunner. Only he was very much different from the guy who taught Luke Latin at school.

Instead of being stuck in a motorized wheelchair, Mr. Brunner (or, as he'd introduced himself, Chiron) had his torso connected with the body of a horse; he was a centaur. He clapped Grover on the back, a sign of congratulations and told him that the Cloven Elders were waiting for him. The satyr ran off.

Chiron smiled at Luke and Percy, giving them a quick tour of the Camp, its rules, and its activities. They went through twelve cabins and stopped at the one on the far right – an old-looking house with dull brown paint peeling off its walls and a wood-carved caduceus hanging over the wide-open door.

"And this is where all the new arrivals stay." Chiron gestured to the worn-looking cabin which had sleeping bags all over the floor. "Jamie!" he called and a guy who looked around college-aged came out.

"Hey Chiron, ooh, new kids?" his blue eyes appraised the two demigods standing on the porch.

"Luke, Percy, this is Jamie Mitter," Chiron made the introductions. "He's the head counselor of the Hermes Cabin where the two of you would be staying for now."

Percy thought he felt Luke bristle at the mention of the name.

Jamie noticed it too, and took it as a sign of uncertainty. "Don't worry, we have room for you. Hermes is patron to all travelers which is basically everyone here until they're claimed."

"What's claimed?" asked Percy.

"It's when your godly parent recognizes you, then you go into all those other cabins," Jamie smiled, pointing at the other houses.

"Does that take very long?" Percy tilted his head curiously. Jamie almost pitied him for it.

"Sometimes – Oh. Well would you look at that." Jamie's eyes gleamed happily, focused on a spot above Luke's head.

People poured out of the doorway, staring at the glowing insignia that shone over Luke's sandy blond head. It was a silver mini-caduceus emitting pale green light.

"Wow…" Percy's eyes were wide as he stared.

Luke regarded the glowing symbol without much enthusiasm. He has only seen the stupid thing so many times in his old mom's house.

"Welcome, brother." Jamie opened his arms wide as though he was expecting a hug. "Luke, right?" He turned to the other kids behind him. "We've got a regular everyone!"

There was a round of applause but Luke’s attention was on Percy who had pulled on his hand. "So when do I get claimed?" Percy whispered. Luke grimaced, "I don't know, Perce."

When the clapping died down, Chiron addressed the crowd. "Well, Jamie, I'll leave these kids to you. Breakfast starts soon so get them settled in right."

"Sure will, Chiron." Jamie grinned. "Okay everybody back inside," he instructed. "Luke and Percy, come on in."

Percy held his backpack securely, following beside Luke. Now that he saw more of the other kids, he saw Luke's resemblance to his siblings: they all had the same sharp noses, upturned eyebrows and mischievous smiles.

"This will be your bed," Jamie indicated the bunk at the end of row to Luke. "And Percy, hmm, how do I say this? Well, the bunks are for Hermes' children, everyone else finds a spot on the floor."

Percy stared uncomprehendingly.

"Wait there, I'll find you a sleeping bag," Jamie made to move but Luke spoke up.

"Can I give him my bed instead?" Luke asked. "I'll take the space on the floor."

Jamie frowned. "Excuse me…?"

Luke stepped up to him, lowering his voice. "You're really going to let a seven-year-old sleep on the floor?"

Percy stared at his shoes. He was small, so small.

Jamie sighed. "Fine. It's your space."

Luke quirked his lips in a grin. "Thanks." He turned back to Percy, kneeling in front of the boy. "You okay?"

"You didn't have to do that…" Percy looked at him through his bangs.

"I said I'll take care of you, remember?" Luke smiled warmly. "Now come on, let's get your things sorted."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought about detailing Luke, Percy, and Grover's route to CHB before but decided against it so I can introduce the Hermes cabin instead ^^  
> As we have the pine tree already, the story goes that Thalia and Annabeth came to camp earlier than Luke and Percy... I wrote this before the Demigod Diariescame out so there may be inaccuracies.. but if I did my math right, Annabeth was around 7 y/o when she came into Camp so I based Luke and Percy's admission by that.. Poor Thalia, but I've got plans for her much later on so just sit tight, girl~


	5. Chapter 5

Just as the Hermes Cabin was overcrowded, their table at the Mess Hall had the campers sitting elbow to elbow. Percy sat in complete awe as nature spirits came forth bringing golden platters of food to the table along with a goblet for each camper. Everyone piled food into their plates and then got up – some kid explained that it was tradition to offer a part of their food to the gods through the fire burning in the bronze brazier in the middle of the pavilion.

After breakfast, Jamie led the Hermes campers to their first activity for the day which happened to be an exercise course through the climbing wall. Everyone was wearing the Camp Half-Blood T-shirt; Jamie had the sense to 'borrow' a couple from the camp store for Luke and Percy. The older campers went first – most of them barely getting through the obstacles and one girl had to be taken to the infirmary after a nasty fall.

Percy found the climbing wall nothing short of a death trap. Were they seriously expected to get through this thing?

Jamie suddenly appeared beside the green-eyed boy. "Ready, Percy?"

"W-What?" Percy's eyes bugged out. He wasn't ready. Somebody broke a limb just now. They couldn't seriously be expecting him to –

"Go on, give it a try," Jamie encouraged, clapping the boy's shoulder. "I'll set it on the easy level for a newcomer like you."

Percy turned to Luke, allowing his fear to show on his face. The blond teen offered his own brand of encouragement. "You have to start somewhere, Percy. Just do your best."

Those weren't the words Percy wanted to hear but they were from Luke and if he had a life goal right now, it was to make Luke proud. Percy steeled his expression. "Okay."

Jamie worked on the controls and put the difficulty level on 'Easy'. He gave a thumbs up and Percy went at it.

The climbing wall rose to maybe ten to fifteen feet high, it had a rocky exterior with openings here and there that would expel a wide variety of things that would serve as obstacles that the climber needed to survive.

Percy kept his hold firm when the climbing wall started to shake as giant boulders came his way. He avoided one – two – then he lost his footing and fell flat on his back. It wasn't from a great height but it still hurt. A lot.

"Oww." Percy gingerly sat up just as Luke crouched down by his side.

"You okay?" Luke took both of Percy's wrists and inspected them, checking for sprains or broken anythings. "Your feet feel okay?"

"I – I'm fine, I think," Percy said, getting on his feet with Luke's help.

"You did good," Luke told him and Percy shot him flat look. "Well, okay, it wasn't  _very_  good but it's your first time and you could build up on that."

"Well aren't you a nice pep-talker," Jamie said without real malice as Luke and Percy joined the rest of the campers on the sidelines. "Ready for your turn, Luke?"

Luke grinned, a confident smirk that Percy hadn't seen in a while blossoming on his handsome face. "What's the toughest level you've got?" He stretched his arms and cricked his neck.

There were murmurs amongst the demigods gathered and Jamie looked somewhere between amused and sarcastic. "You sure about that, new guy?"

A shrug was Luke's reply. "Bring it." He directed a private smile at Percy who leaned forward, eager to watch.

Jamie turned the controls near the maximum and gave Luke the go signal. The climbing wall was spouting lava and steam and jagged rocks and a waterfall – it was ridiculous.

Luke got into position and then broke into a run, he leaped into the air and landed somewhere around four feet up the wall. He deftly avoided the rock fall and the flowing lava only managed to singe a small hole on the knees of his jeans. It took him some time to pass the geysers, his blue eyes concentrating on the pattern of release, and when he was only a couple of feet from the peak – the freezing water came pouring out. Luke gritted his teeth in concentration, keeping his hands on the slippery footholds as the earth turned into mud. The rapid water soaked him but Luke wasn't going to let such a petty nuisance keep him from his goal. He got mud under his fingernails but once he finally stood at the top and all eyes were on him, Luke felt he had the right to be smug.

Percy couldn't even be bothered to close his mouth, his jaw hanging open in awe. Luke was so cool. Luke was incredible. Luke was the definition of  _awesome_.

The campers of the Hermes cabin started to applaud; even Jamie had to admit this new kid was some sort of prodigy. Now that the climbing wall had reverted back to its 'harmless' state, Luke climbed down easy and he was swarmed with pats of admiration and words of congratulation.

Percy chose to stay behind, staring at Luke with wonder and second-hand delight seeing how the teen was being welcomed so warmly at the camp he'd once said he hated.

Luke finally got away from the others and made a beeline to Percy, who was standing by himself at the sidelines. "That felt awesome," he exclaimed.

"It was wicked cool," Percy agreed.

"You're gonna be able to do that, too, Perce." Luke threw an arm around the boy's shoulders and pulled him flush to his side. Percy didn't mind the dirt.

"Nah, I can't–"

"Shh, I'll train you personally and soon you're going to take that wall easy." Luke grinned in promise.

Next on schedule was javelin throwing with the Apollo campers, weapon-making with the Hephaestus kids, and Ancient Greek with the sole Demeter camper, Zandro DuFerne.

Everyone had high expectations of Luke once news of his glory moment at the climbing wall and great skill with handling weapons spread around camp. By lunchtime, campers from other cabins knew Luke and would often nod or smile at him.

The Hermes Cabin had a free time after lunch and most of it was spent in a huge question-and-answer session. Jamie had a lot of questions and so did the other campers, they were all crowded around the bed that Luke had given to Percy where the two newcomers sat together.

"So are you guys gonna be just summer campers or year-rounders?" a boy near the back asked.

"Year-rounders, definitely," Luke answered, absently rubbing the back of Percy's hand.

"You guys are gonna have sword fighting lessons with Ares' kids later," Jamie said. "Think you'll be able to keep up with those brutes?"

Luke only smirked.

* * *

 

The lesson started with a demonstration between the two cabins. Luke got himself a close-enough-to-balanced sword for the fight and bravely faced the Ares Cabin Head Counselor, a guy called Vincent Henessy who was two years older than him. It quickly descended from a friendly match to a serious face-off; everyone found that Luke was undoubtedly on par with the son of Ares in terms of skill. The demo ended when both fighters agreed on a draw.

Vincent clapped Luke on the back, wearing an impressed grin. "Nice job, kid."

"Thanks," Luke replied before heading off to get Percy a practice sword of his own.

Percy spent the rest of the period learning how to handle and wield a sword. Luke kept on giving him tips like 'Keep your elbows in', 'Bend your knees a little', and 'You have to exert more force to drive the blade in'.

At the end of the day, Percy had to be carried back to the Hermes Cabin seeing as he fell asleep in the middle of the sing-along. Luke tucked him in, smiling at the calm expression on the boy's face. He rolled out the sleeping bag Jamie had given him and set it up on the floor at the foot of the bed.

It was hard to believe that just yesterday he and Percy were faced with the untimely death of Sally Jackson. Camp Half-Blood, for all that it entailed, wasn't as bad as he thought it'd be. It felt great being able to fight properly and not be limited by stupid P.E. rules. The strict schedule of activities kept Percy from thinking too much about his mom's passing and it was good to see him making friends with fellow half-bloods.

Luke found a comfortable position and soon drifted into sleep.

Some time later, a hand touched his shoulder and Luke had his knife two inches away from cutting off Percy's arm.

"Percy!" Luke instantly withdrew his weapon, sitting up and pulling the startled boy onto his lap. "That was a reflex, sorry. Why are you up?"

The dark-haired boy chewed on his bottom lip, even in the dark, Luke could see the tear tracks and the watery eyes.

"I dreamed about mom," Percy whispered. "She was bringing us blue candy like she used to but then a guy with a gun came in and he – he suddenly…"

Luke hugged him, warm and comforting and Percy held onto him like he was a lifeline. Luke didn't have words to comfort him, he'd never really lost a loved one before, but he knew he could be there for the kid. They stayed like that for a few minutes, until it felt like Percy had gone back to sleep again. Luke carried the young demigod back to the bed but when he tried to pry the small hands off his shirt, Percy woke up.

"Don't leave me," he pleaded and Luke found that he couldn't say no.

The next morning, the campers didn't say a word at finding the two wrapped around each other under the covers of the same bed. Luke and Percy woke up with multi-colored confetti all over the sheets spelling out ' _Welcome to Cabin 11!_ '

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and here we have Luke being a show-off...  
> i guess i sort of 'over-emphasized' Luke's skills here.. but whoever said he wasn't keeping extra fit that whole year he'd been living with the Jacksons?  
> my total adoration of Luke shows, i know, but that kid deserved so many good things okay
> 
> in other news, making up the pre-Percy generation Head Counsilors was fun~ I'm thinking of bringing them back much much later..


End file.
